In the western Canadian province of British Columbia, with its vast areas of forest, timber has a long tradition as a building material. In comparison with classical timber-frame forms, however, modern wooden construction plays a subordinate role. In 2013, as part of the “Tall Wood Demonstration Initiative”, with which the Canadian government is seeking to achieve an innovative advance, the University of British Columbia in Vancouver invited proposals for a student hall of residence in timber construction.
The most important parameters for the architects were that the building costs should not exceed those of a conventional concrete high-rise structure (plus an eight-per-cent innovation bonus from the government) and that the solution implemented should serve as a model for further timber structures throughout Canada.
The winning architectural team, Acton Ostry Architects from Vancouver and Hermann Kaufmann Architects from Schwarzach, submitted a design for a modular timber building that would allow a very simple and swift construction process.
The most important parameters for the architects were that the building costs should not exceed those of a conventional concrete high-rise structure (plus an eight-per-cent innovation bonus from the government) and that the solution implemented should serve as a model for further timber structures throughout Canada.
The winning architectural team, Acton Ostry Architects from Vancouver and Hermann Kaufmann Architects from Schwarzach, submitted a design for a modular timber building that would allow a very simple and swift construction process.